Italy vs. New Zealand: Results, Highlights (Photos, Video)

Italy’s second match came against New Zealand. Who won this match? What players were playing? Next match? Keep reading to learn all about it, plus check out the photos and video below.

The 2006 World Cup champion Italy and New Zealand are both part of group F. On one hand, we have Italy as the favorite. They have good players, but does the quad have what it takes to win? New Zealand aka All Whites on the other hand, were not afraid of the champions.

Here are the players that play at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa.

Italy

New Zealand

1 Federico Marchetti

1 Mark Paston

3 Domenico Criscito

3 Tony Lochhead

4 Giorgio Chiellini

4 Winston Reid

5 Fabio Cannavaro

5 Ivan Vicelich

6 Daniele De Rossi

6 Ryan Nelsen

7 Simone Pepe

7 Simon Elliot

9 Vicenzo Iaquinta

9 Shane Smeltz

11 Alberto Gilardino

10 Chris Killen

15 Claudio Marchisio

11 Leo Bertos

19 Gianluca Zambrota

14 Rory Fallon

22 Riccardo Montolivo

19 Tommy Smith

Coach: Marcelo Lippi

Coach: Ricki Herbert

During today’s match, New Zealand made a statement. Good defense can make all the effort worth it! But for Italy even though they didn’t lose, it was a shameful draw. It might as well be considered a loss.

For the Kiwis the match turned in their favor right off the bat beginning when Shane Smeltz’s free kick (clearly went offside as it slightly touched Winston Reid’s head and then hit Fabio Cannavaro in the chest on the seven minute mark.

It seemed that Daniele DeRossi was going to be the man who saved his team once again, but then New Zealand’s Tommy Smith grabbed him by his shirt and went down on the penalty box, which Vicenzo Iaquinta drew in the goal box on the 29th minute, making the game 1-1.

Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon was still recovering and Marchetti replaced him. New Zealand’s Tim Brown is still off from his surgery, so Ivan Vicelich covered for him.

The game ended an extra 4 minutes of injury time with a draw at 1-1–even after continuous shooting from Italy that Paston managed to block every time. Their next match will be on June 24 vs. Slovakia and New Zealand will face Paraguay that same day.